COYOTE POINT - COLLYER

Reconstruction after the Civil War put the young Nation back on track for expansion.

1849 Gold was discovered in Placer County, California at the Sutter Ranch. The push was now full steam to traverse the high plains of Kansas in order to get to California.

Although the Eastern half of the state of Kansas had been settled, the Western half was still mostly high plains desert prairie that needed to be traversed in order to get to the western coastal lands.

Many trails passed through Kansas:


The Indian Removal Bill of 1830 had settled many Indian Nations into the Mid-western region. As expansion pushed for the West Coast of the North American Continent, many new treaties were signed with the Indian Nations, culminating with the Treaty of 1851. This Treaty relocated the Cheyenne to Northern Colorado, which began an Indian Rebellion, making many trails through Kansas unsafe.

1858 Gold was discovered in the Pike's Peak Country of Northwestern Kansas Territory and Southwestern Nebraska Territory of the United States. (Later to be known as Colorado.) 1859 saw an even larger number of travelers through Kansas. If they were not heeded for California as Pioneers, or as Gold Seekers, now they were headed as Gold Seekers to Pike's Peak Country.

The Land Bill of 1860 rewarded pioneers for settling the land in unsettled regions.

The passage of Pacific Railroad Bill of 1862 rewarded the railroads with extravagant land grants to fuel the unification of the continent into "One Nation."

Railroads knew that growing communities along the lines would be essential for long term stability. Besides supplying water and other necessities to the railroad, the communities would supply revenue as traffic back to the railroads. The eastern states already had preconceived ideas of Kansas as drought, Indian attacks, grasshoppers, wilderness, and starvation. The success of the railroads depended on the success of changing mindsets. Enter an extensive advertisement campaign by the Union Pacific Railroads to sell the idea of homesteading on the high plains desert prairies.

The Union Pacific Railroad - Kansas Division

Progressed as follows:

Wyandotte County

Kansas City (September 1863), Muncie, Edwardsville, Forest Lake, Sunflower, Bonner Springs

Leavenworth County

Lenape (Armstron), Linwood, Fall Leaf (Horne)

Douglas County

Lawrence Junction (Nov. 1864) (--> Leavenworth Branch)(-->Carbondale Branch), Midland

Jefferson County

Buck Creek, Williamstown, Perry Medina, Newman, Grantville

Shawnee County

Topeka (1865), Menoken, Silver Lake, Kingsville, Rossville

Pottawatomie County

St. Mary's Mission, Belvue, Wamego, St. George

Riley County

Manhattan (1865/1866), Ogden

Geary (Davis) County

Pawnee, Ft. Riley, Junction City (Oct/Nov. 1866( (-->Junction City and Ft. Kearney Branch),

Dickinson County

Chapman, Detroit, Abilene (1866/1867), Solomon City (-->Solomon Branch)

Saline County

New Cambria, Salina (Apr. 1867) (-->Salina and Southwestern Branch) Bavaria, Brookville (1867)

Ellsworth County

Rock Spring, Carneiro, Summit Siding, Ellsworth (Jun 1867)

Russell County

Dorrance, Bunker Hill, Russell (1867), Gorham

Ellis County

Walker, Victoria, Hays (Oct 1867), Ellis (1867)

Trego County

Ogallah, Trego (WaKeeney), Voda, Coyote (winter 1867/1877)

Arriving at Coyote Point, December 1867, railroad workers, soldiers, and camp followers found winter coming on strong. The inhabitants numbered close to 500. With little provisions, they dug in along the banks of the ravine for shelters. Eventually they were able to build makeshift shelters as the track building paused, and for a period of time, this was the end of the line.

As the Railroad paralleled the Smoky Hill Trail which was established in 1857, Coyote became the launching spot for the pioneers headed west along the Smoky Hill Trail. Coyote was also the starting point for daily stages to Denver, as well as freight to the mining camps of Colorado and New Mexico.

Situated east of the 100th Meridian, Coyote was just across the line where the annual precipitation would be less than twenty inches annually, where crops would probably not grow without irrigation and ample water was a problem. Other factors involved here, Coyote was a few miles north of the Smoky Hill Trail, the site of the failed Butterfield Overland Dispatch Trail, and within a mile south of the original hunting ground campsite for the Cheyenne and Sioux Indians. General George E. Custer and his troops, as well as other troops from Fort Fletcher (later Fort Hays) frequented the area. Buffalo Bill Cody hunted Buffalo here, as the Cheyenne and Sioux Indians had for generations.

The Buffalo had completely disappeared by 1871.

Eventually the station master, B.O. Richards, put up a station house, where a small merchant was selling his wares from a store on wheels that also doubled as a Post Office. As the water well did not produce in abundance, the station master regularly hooked up his horse to power the pumping station.

At another place, Chicago, a group of soldiers, Civil War Veterans, and Sailors were organizing under the direction of Rev. Robert Collyer. The purpose of the organization was to settle as a colony together in Kansas.

When they arrived at Coyote, they found very little, save the Station House and the store on wheels.

The first thing the advance guard did, was to rename the town Collyer after the Unitarian Reverend they so dearly loved. Rev. Collyer had made provisions for lumber to be shipped to the spot, providing a 30 x 60' one and a half story house on the south side of the railroad track for the new settlers to live in while they built homes for themselves. The first meal served in the Colony House was April 12, 1878.

Then they moved the Collyer town site northeast back down the track three quarters of a mile. There are a few reasons for the move stated through history: The main reason centered on the water issue, or lack thereof. Another reason stated was title problems, where the land company Warren & Keeney offered to help by selling the new arrivals tracts from their possessions three quarters of a mile back down the track. Some thought that Warren and Keeney were helpful, others thought that Warren & Keeney were helping themselves out of land that they felt was of dead weight. The real complete reasons, we may never know...

The original plat of Collyer was filed with the Register of Deeds in Hays, Kansas on February 11, 1879.

About eighty families found shelter in the "Colony House." It was also used as a haven during Indian Scares. Built on railroad right of way, it became necessary to tear the building down. After tearing the building down, the Wheeler brothers used the lumber to build a store in the little town of Collyer.

But we can gain insight to the story of the original settlers from their own accounts written ten years later, as they prepared for their Old Settlers' Day celebration.

January 17, 1887 (Western Kansas World

March 17th, 1878, the advance guard of the Soldier's and Sailor's Colony Co., of Chicago, landed in Trego county. The three first to come were R. G. Kessler, Larry H. LeBron and J. W. Burns, followed by P. J. Gubbins, William Edwards and Frank James.

March 24, 1888 (Western Kansas World - used with permission)

CHICAGO SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' COLONY.

The organization of the Chicago Soldiers' and Sailors' Colony, which located at Collyer, Kansas, in 1878, was an organization true to its name. The original party in this scheme was Col. C. N. Pratt, of Chicago, Ill. In January, 1878, the colony was in the course of organization, and so continued until about March 8, when the colony, at a regular meeting in Opera Hall, fully completed its task by electing Col. C. N. Pratt, R. G. Kessler and Larry LeBron its locating committee. On the morning of March 14, the committee, in company with J. W. Burns, left Chicago, to proceed westward, with 103 powers of attorney, to plant a colony of soldiers and sailors. The committee came as far west as Coyote (Collyer,) in western Trego. Here was presented to the committee a grand layout. It required but little delay until these gentlemen were convinced that they were on the right road to make a strike. But a few days were consumed until all arrangements were completed; and the committee boarded the train, and went to the U.S. land office - then at Hays City - Captain B. J. F. Hanna, register. Upon being informed that there were 103 filings to be made, he lost his good health, and has never recovered since. The organization prospered until they numbered 307. The hot blasts of '79 and ' 80, etc., etc., thinned the ranks of the colony, until to-day they number thirty seven tried and true men, women and children.

The following is a true copy of the names of the members of the Old Settlers' organization of Collyer, also giving the dates of their arrival at this place:

Name Date, 18--

J. F. Condon, May 2, '78

Geo. V. York, April 25, '79

P. Richards, Nov. 16, '69

W. Spicer, May --, '78

T. K. Phillips, May 10, '78

S. C. Robb, June 5, '78

J. H. Siebert, Mar. 24, '79

Wm. Morris, Mar. --, '80

S. C. Davis, May 1, '78

Henry F. Knight, Mar. 1, '79

John DeSantos, Mar. 10, '79

John W. Burns, Mar. 17, '78

C. A. Sperry, Oct. --, '78

A. P. Elliott, ----------------

J. C. Martin, Sep. 18, '79

Lucy Sperry, Apr. 17, '78

B. O. Richards, Feb. 2, '79

Wm. Hillbrand, June --, '79

Wm. Walsh, Mar. 17, '79

James Power, Mar. 25, '79

Chas. P. Adams April --, '79

Mrs. Hattie Robb, Jan. 27, '79

Mrs. M. A. Brown, May 15, '80

Mr. Jos. Brown Dec. 12, '79

Mrs. Kate Walsh, June --, '78

Miss Millie Brown, May --, '80

Mrs. Lucy Adams, Aug. --, '80

Miss Dasie Martin, Oct. 8, 79

Miss Kate McDonald, Aug. --, '80

Mrs. H. E. York, May --, '79

Geo. W. Blackwell, Oct. 28, '79

Geo. W. Kessler, Mar. 25, '79

R. G. Kessler, Mar. 17, '78

Mrs. Frances Kessler, June 24, '78

David Fouts, June 6, '78

Victory Zawodsky, April 21, '79

Larry LeBron, Mar. 17, '78

(From the Trego County Republican - dated April 5, 1888 - used with permission.)

OLD SETTLERS' RE-UNION.

The invitation committee of the recent Old Settlers' re-union at Collyer are in receipt of a letter from Rev. Robert Collyer, the eminent American clergyman, after whom our prosperous little neighboring town was named. Rev. Collyer was born in England, December 8th, 1823. He worked in a factory as a boy, and afterward became a blacksmith. By reason of hard study he succeeded in educating himself during leisure hours from work at the anvil. He united with the M.E. church in 1847, and was granted a license to preach. He came to this country three years later and began to work at his trade and preach as opportunity permitted. Entertaining the Unitarian views, the Methodist conference refused to renew his license on the ground of heresy. He left his Pennsylvania home and became pastor of the Unitarian church in Chicago, 1859. The great Chicago fire of 1871 destroyed his church. Going to the anvil the "blacksmith preacher" made horse shoes, the proceeds of his work going towards rebuilding his church, the first two shoes bringing $5,000 each. It was during his residence in Chicago that the members of the "Soldiers' and Sailors' Colony" of that city came to know and love him, and on settling in Trego county they named their town in his honor. Rev. Collyer is now pastor of the Church of the Messiah, New York city. Below is his letter:

New York, March 27th, 1888

Gentlemen:

Your kind invitation to meet the old settlers' of your town and celebrate its tenth birthday, only reached me on the day you celebrate, and so I could only wish you many happy returns. But I shall hope to come out some day to see you and the Godson Collyer, whose birth and ten year life I am quite proud.

Meanwhile it will be very pleasant to hear some particulars of the gracious Godson, and if there is any book about him or chapter in a book, shall be glad to have it and will remit the price and a subscription also to the paper of the town if you have got strong enough to print one.

May I also hear if you have started a lyceum or library, or both. There will be a sight of books to be disposed of when I am through with them, and some before, if that seems best, and I do not like the idea of the being sold now or ever, so would prefer to have a lot of them go to Collyer if the town would care for them, keep them in good shape, let them circulate, and see to the thing generally.

I always supposed that naming the town was a whim of Pratt's and that you would adopt another name when you get around to it, and had no idea it had stayed good until last summer, as I was crossing the continent on the U. P. and saw it on a railroad guide. It struck me then that the name might hold, which, of course, will be one of the choicest honors a man can think of when the town itself is honorable, and so there is another small matter that is a portrait in oils. I would like to send it out if ever you have a library or have one now, so that I may seem to be a little nearer in that way also.

Indeed yours,

Robert Collyer

To the Old Settlers' committee

March 1979 As printed in the 100th Anniversary Edition of the Western Kansas World

SOME EARLY SETTLERS IN THE COLLYER COMMUNITY

The following persons came about the same time as the colonists: Emery and his sister Grace Cass from Iowa came in May 1878; Frank and Josephine Zeman and children from Iowa came in 1878: Victor Zawodsky of Prague, Czechoslovakia came in April 1879; Henry Ehrlich came in1879; Edward, Thomas, Ned and Pat O'Toole of Ireland came in 1879; Malloy, Wm. Wheeler, P. Schultz, Mr. Tracy N. Carlyle, William Jennings, James Duckworth, E. Mason and father, Larson, David Walsh, T.K. Phillips, J.H. Sieber, Henry F. Knight, John Desantos, Wm. Hillbrand, James Power, Chas. E. Adams, Mrs. Hattie Robb, Mr. Jos. Brown, Miss Dasio Martin, Mrs. H.E. York, George W. Blackwill, Wm. Morris, Mrs. M.A. Brown, Miss Millie Brown, Mrs. Lucy Adams, Miss Kate McDonald, G.T. Stickney and others.

According to an account written by Mrs. Ray Purinton, along with the above persons, Hugh Tidball settled in the Collyer area also, he located north of Collyer on the Saline River.

Nearly all of the early settlers were Civil War Veterans. The first G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) building in this part of the State was erected on the east side of Main Street. A Ladies Relief Corps was organized by the wives of the veterans. As the "old" soldiers spread out, on horseback and by wagon it took several hours for all of them to arrive in Collyer, thus, Memorial Sunday and Decoration Day were the main times they all got together and had a chance to visit. Many of the "old" soldiers are buried in the Union Cemetery on the edge of Collyer.

The Collyer Post Office was operated out of the original Coyote Supply wagon while a more permanent edifice was built. The Post Office was officially established on May 3, 1878 with Rufus Kessler appointed as the first Post Master.

The Bishop of the Diocese of Leavenworth bought all of Collyer City block #57 from James F. and Hattie H. Keeney for $100.00 in 1883. Later a small Catholic Church was built in the center of this block approximately around 1878, in the center of the burying ground. In 1886, Rev. J.W Hickman helped to build a Baptist Church and was recorded as the first Minister. A congregation gathered on Sundays in the school house after it was built in 1885, they appear to have been a mixed group of Congregationalists and Methodists.

A Colony of Irish Settlers accompanied the Chicago Colony. Another group of Irish settlers arrived about 1880. About 1889 a colony of Czechs (Bohemians) arrived, and in 1901 we find a beginning influx of Germans from Odessa, Russia arriving, with another group arriving in 1902.

The City of Collyer was incorporated in 1917.

Early Roads:

The Butterfield Overland Dispatch Trail is maybe the best known, it was established along the Smoky Hill Trail in 1865. However, there is "a" Smoky Hill Trail, a route to Denver officially opened by Gen. Fremont in 1844.

The Golden Belt Highway (name changed to Union Pacific Highway in 1921) was established in 1912.

It was a dirt road that was laid east to west from Kansas City to Denver. It passes one mile north of Collyer center. It was named by F.W. Hockiday of Wichita because, at that time, it was marked by a yellow band around the telephone poles that marked the route.

Victory Highway, dedicated in 1923, ran east and west on the south end of Collyer. The Victory Highway became Highway 40S in 1925, and was the first road in Kansas to have a gravel surface covering it, starting in Trego County in 1935. (There sprang up service stations on both sides of the Highway, one in front of the Their Sod House, and one across the road owned by Ben and Helen Dinkel.

Interstate 70 was started in Kansas by letting of bids in 1958, building began in Trego County. This east and west running highway ran one mile south of Collyer, and was completed 1960. Like many other communities, being eliminated from daily travel severally demised the town.

Thanks to the following resources:

and special thanks to Steve Parke for all of his research!!



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